Apple Watch 9
Retail Price
$399
Lowest Price
$299.97
Release Date
September 22, 2023
The Apple Watch Series 9, despite its subtle design modifications, delivers significant performance upgrades including a faster S9 chip, an improved ultra-wideband chip, brighter display, and enhanced Siri interactions. Notable features include the innovative ‘double tap’ gesture for easier controls, OS updates for mental health tracking, and Siri processing for health inquiries. Its always-on display is brighter and it continues to offer an 18-hour battery life and comprehensive health sensors, further solidifying its standing as a top-tier smartwatch.
Purchase Links
Overview
- Summary
- Overview - Build
- Overview - Features
- Overview - Target Market
- Overview - Upgrade
- Overview - Worth
- Recommendation
- Positive
- Negative
Kate Kozuch – Tom’s Guide
The Apple Watch Series 9, though visually unremarkable save for a subtle pink finish, boasts substantial performance upgrades including a faster S9 processor, a brighter display, and quicker Siri interactions. Enhanced with an improved ultra-wideband chip, it offers new ecosystem functions. Its innovative double tap gesture further simplifies one-handed controls.
Adrienne So – Wired
The Apple Watch 9 comes with an upgraded chip, enhanced interactions, and significant OS updates designed to assist in mental health tracking.
Cherlynn Low – Engadget
The Apple Watch 9 smartwatch stands out as the best in its category, with features like Double Tap and on-device Siri providing compelling reasons to upgrade from older models, including the Series 8. These features minimize the need for swiping or tapping on a small screen.
CNET
The Apple Watch Series 9, similar in appearance to the Series 8, features significant internal upgrades for improved usability. This includes a new ‘double tap’ gesture, faster on-device Siri processing, health-related Siri inquiries, and an Ultra wideband chip for enhanced phone tracking.
Andru Edwards
The Apple Watch Series 9 enhances user experience with new features such as the double tap gesture and on-device Siri, along with a brighter always-on display and an improved S9 chip. Maintaining its popular features like the 18-hour battery life and comprehensive health sensors, it solidifies its position as a leading smartwatch.
Kate Kozuch – Tom’s Guide
The Apple Watch Series 9, along with the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and the Apple Watch SE, stands out for its significant strides in sustainability, featuring eco-friendly watch bands, minimal packaging, and recycled parts, making these the first carbon-neutral devices from Apple.
Kate Kozuch – Tom’s Guide
The software update for the Apple Watch 9 introduces new features like Smart Stack UI, tools for cyclists, mental health tracking via the Mindfulness app, and vision health monitoring. It also enhances the Apple Fitness Plus with the ability to stack classes and create custom workout plans. Additional perks include a free trial of the virtual workout platform for new Apple Watch users, personalization through the best Apple Watch apps, and cross-monitoring of health data with the Oura Ring Gen 3 app and complication.
Adrienne So – Wired
The latest Watch Series 9, powered by Apple’s new S9 chipset, enables faster and more private processing of simple Siri commands on the device itself, enhancing both speed and privacy. This advanced technology supports a range of features, including health trackers for mental state, menstrual cycle, and weight logging.
Cherlynn Low – Engadget
The Apple Watch 9’s Assistive Touch is a more comprehensive and detailed feature than Double Tap, providing complete access to watchOS. In contrast, Double Tap is a convenience feature with only one action, performing specific tasks.
Cherlynn Low – Engadget
The Apple Watch Series 9 introduces a new interaction method, Double Tap and Raise to Speak, and improves on-device Siri processing, allowing access to health data and daily stat logging. These features, powered by the new S9 system-in-package (SiP), may not be available to older models via watchOS 10.
Kate Kozuch – Tom’s Guide
The Apple Watch Series 9 is currently the best choice in the smartwatch market, featuring significant internal upgrades, a convenient double tap gesture, and a commendable environmental focus.
Kate Kozuch – Tom’s Guide
The Apple Watch Series 9 stands out as the premier smartwatch due to substantial performance enhancements and the introduction of a convenient double-tap gesture. It also pioneers Apple’s journey towards carbon-neutral certified products.
CNET
The Apple Watch Series 9 represents a slight but positive progression, with the added benefit of Siri’s improved accessibility for Health metrics.
CNET
The Apple Watch Series 9 appears as a minor upgrade from Series 8, offering features such as Double Tap and a faster Siri. However, these features might not warrant an upgrade unless the user has an older version like Series 6 or earlier. In this case, the Series 9 provides noticeable improvements like faster performance, larger screen with a keyboard, a temperature sensor, car crash detection, and increased internal storage.
Kate Kozuch – Tom’s Guide
The Apple Watch 9 offers notable performance upgrades, emerging as the best available model. While not a mandatory upgrade for Series 8 or 7 owners, its future-proof features add value. The updates primarily focus on enhancing usability, marking progress in the smartwatch experience, and paving the way for potentially more impactful features in the future.
Cherlynn Low – Engadget
The decision to purchase the Apple Watch Series 9 may be influenced by the company’s commitment to environmental sustainability and features like Double Tap and Siri, along with performance and battery life considerations.
CNET
The Apple Watch Series 9 is highly recommended for users of older models like the Series 6, boasting features like Double Tap, enhanced Siri performance, and improved iPhone tracking. However, these additions may not warrant an upgrade for those with more recent models.
Max Tech
It is recommended to not upgrade to the Series 9 if you already have Series 7 or 8, due to minimal design changes and slight improvements in display brightness. For Series 5 or 6 users, the decision is trickier due to a similar feature set but added performance boost, sensor upgrades, a more rounded design, larger display, and thinner bezels. An upgrade is only recommended if these newer features are appealing. However, for Series 4 or older users, an upgrade is highly recommended, considering the aging battery and the introduction of many new features.
Pros & Cons
- Pros
- Cons
- Positive
- Negative
Kate Kozuch – Tom’s Guide
The Apple Watch 9 comes with a 25% improved S9 processor, offline functionality for Siri, and a handy double-tap gesture. Additionally, it features a new UWB chip for phone location and holds the distinction of being Apple’s first carbon-neutral device.
Adrienne So – Wired
The processor of the Apple Watch 9 is more efficient, leading to improved battery life. It comes in a new pink color and offers a brighter screen to enhance custom watch faces. The device is equipped with useful haptic features, can locate your iPhone quickly, provides daylight tracking, and has a handy Double Tap feature.
Cherlynn Low – Engadget
The Apple Watch 9 offers comprehensive health and fitness tracking features, coupled with convenient on-device Siri. The Double Tap feature provides additional utility in various scenarios. Moreover, it is a carbon-neutral product, reflecting the company’s commitment to environmental sustainability.
Kate Kozuch – Tom’s Guide
A downside of the Apple Watch 9 is its “Find iPhone” feature, which is only compatible with iPhone 15.
Adrienne So – Wired
The Apple Watch 9 experience, heavily dependent on iPhone integration, poses the question of whether users desire to encapsulate their entire personality within a watch. The design largely resembles its predecessor.
Cherlynn Low – Engadget
The battery lifespan of the Apple Watch 9 leaves room for improvement.
Build & Design
- Build - Bands
- Build - Material
- Design - Colors
- Design - Finish
- Positive
- Negative
Kate Kozuch – Tom’s Guide
The Apple Watch 9 Sport Loop comes with 82% recycled yarn. contributing to Apple’s carbon-neutral certification.
Kate Kozuch – Tom’s Guide
Apple is transitioning to a new recycled textile, Fine Woven, for their watch bands, even replacing the leather Hermes ones. The textile pairs well with the Stainless Steel models, despite their lack of a carbon-neutral certificate. All top-rated Apple Watch bands remain compatible with the Series 9, allowing for style customization.
Cherlynn Low – Engadget
Apple has introduced FineWoven bands, a premium suede-like material made from recycled materials, as a sustainable replacement for leather bands in all watch generations, including the Apple Watch 9, in an effort to reduce its carbon footprint.
Max Tech
The Series 9 features environmentally-friendly updates, including the new fine woven magnetic link and modern buckle bands, previously made of leather.
Andru Edwards
The Apple Watch 9 band, provided in a matching midnight color, is not only aesthetically pleasing but also eco-friendly. The unique design of the Nike sport bands is achieved by incorporating pieces of older sport bands, giving it a refreshed look. Notably, any Aluminum Series 9 or SE Apple Watch paired with a sport loop band is carbon neutral, marking a first for any Apple product.
Andru Edwards
The aluminum Apple Watch 9 features a ceramic back and Ion X glass front, with the option to upgrade to Sapphire crystal in the stainless steel model.
Andru Edwards
The Apple Watch 9’s midnight variant features a casing that appears black, contrasting with the band which is a deep blue.
Features
- Battery
- Charging
- Chipset
- Controls
- Display
- Gestures
- Software
- Specifications
- Storage
- System
- Positive
- Negative
Kate Kozuch – Tom’s Guide
The latest Apple Watch models are now more environmentally friendly, with all-aluminum models made from 100% recycled materials, including a cobalt battery.
Kate Kozuch – Tom’s Guide
The Apple Watch 9 offers standard braided charging cord and takes about an hour to charge fully from a dead state. It also supports quick top-off charging to last overnight for sleep-tracking purposes.
Kate Kozuch – Tom’s Guide
The Series 9 chip, with its 5.6 billion transistors and 4-core neural engines, delivers a 25% efficiency improvement and doubles the speed of machine learning, as well as offers smoother visual effects due to a 30% increase in GPU speed.
Kate Kozuch – Tom’s Guide
The Apple Watch Series 9 comes with the new U2 ultra-wideband (UWB) chip, enhancing its functionality by allowing users to track their iPhone’s location, proving particularly useful for those prone to misplacing their phones.
Adrienne So – Wired
The second-gen ultra-wideband chip in the new Apple Watch 9 significantly improves its precision finding features, enabling it to accurately locate the user’s iPhone within the house, functioning similarly to the Find My app’s AirTag location feature.
Cherlynn Low – Engadget
The Apple Watch 9 comes with the latest hardware upgrade in the S9 SiP chipset, offering significant improvements, including up to double the speed in processing machine learning tasks and a 25% increase in power efficiency.
Cherlynn Low – Engadget
The Apple Watch 9 integrates a second-generation ultra wideband (UWB) chip similar to the iPhone 15 series, enhancing interface interaction with your paired phone and HomePod. When within four meters of a HomePod, it automatically displays the Now Playing screen for quick playback control. The UWB chip also offers a sophisticated interface for locating your paired iPhone, providing exact distance measurements and directional information.
CNET
The Apple Watch Series 9 features an upgraded second-generation Find My Phone Ultra Wideband Chip, enabling precise location tracking similar to an air tag. It provides an estimated distance to the lost phone, but it is only compatible with iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro.
Max Tech
The Series 9 is enhanced with the new S9 chip, featuring 60% more silicon transistors, a 30% speed increase, and a 4-core Neural Engine that is twice as fast.
Max Tech
The Apple Watch 9, equipped with the second generation U2 Ultra wideband chip, offers unique features such as Precision Finding for iPhone 15 models and seamless HomePod integration, allowing for easy iPhone location and music transfer between the watch and HomePod.
Andru Edwards
The Apple Watch Series 9 is equipped with Apple’s most advanced four-core neural engine, essential for machine learning tasks like detecting the double tap feature. Powered by the new S9 system and package, it offers up to 60% faster performance than the previous model, due to its dual-core CPU, and up to 30% faster graphics from the GPU. Additionally, it features a second-generation ultra-wideband chip for Precision Finding, providing precise distance and direction to your paired iPhone, accompanied by haptics and audio cues.
Cherlynn Low – Engadget
The Apple Watch 9’s Double Tap feature is distinct from Assistive Touch, an accessibility feature introduced to watchOS in 2021 that was previously available on iOS. Assistive Touch, designed for individuals with varying mobility needs, allows interaction with the operating system through gestures like pinching and clenching. It needs to be enabled in the settings, after which a double clench activates it, bringing up an outline around screen items. Individual elements can then be navigated through pinching, while clenching simulates a tap.
CNET
The Apple Watch 9 has a new feature, Double Tap, which is designed to simplify watch control during activities such as walking the dog, doing the dishes, or carrying shopping bags. It activates the main function in an app or notification, allowing users to dismiss notifications, pause Spotify, or manage their timer without physically touching their watch.
Max Tech
The new Apple Watch 9 introduces a Double Tap gesture feature that enables a variety of actions such as remotely controlling iPhone camera and accessing a smart stack of apps by simply tapping your fingers together twice.
Andru Edwards
The new Apple Watch 9 features a revolutionary double tap gesture, allowing users to control the watch without touching or speaking to it, creating a magical experience. The gesture, achieved by tapping the thumb and index finger together, utilizes a built-in accelerometer and the new four-core neural engine to detect unique wrist movements. This innovative control method can be used for various functions including playing music, answering calls, stopping timers, and advancing notification widgets.
CNET
The Apple Watch Series 9 stands out with its Always-On display, a standard feature since Series 5, but also boasts twice the display brightness of the Series 8, enhancing visibility.
Max Tech
The Series 9 introduces a major enhancement in display features, offering twice the peak brightness of its predecessor, reaching up to 2000 nits. Additionally, it has the ability to lower brightness to an unprecedented 1 nit, ideal for dark rooms or nighttime use.
Andru Edwards
The Apple Watch Series 9 showcases a major upgrade in its display, boasting a maximum brightness of 2000 nits, doubling the Series 8 and matching the original Apple Watch Ultra. Additionally, it features an ultra-low brightness of one nit in sleep mode, providing visibility in a dark room without disturbing sleep and conserving battery life.
Kate Kozuch – Tom’s Guide
The Apple Watch Series 9 introduces a new feature called double-tap, enhancing user convenience. This feature is accessible across various applications, such as Smart Stack, timer, Apple Music, and the Camera Remote app. It also allows users to swiftly respond to texts, thus making single-handed control practical for all users.
Adrienne So – Wired
The new S9 chip in the Apple Watch 9 introduces a feature called Double Tap, enabling interaction through a simple gesture of tapping the index finger and thumb twice. This gesture acts like a button press, controlling primary functions such as answering or ending calls. It also allows swiping through smart stacks and dismissing alarms, offering convenience when hands are occupied. The feature leverages the watch’s gyroscope, accelerometer, and blood flow sensors, extending Apple’s accessibility software for its wearables.
Cherlynn Low – Engadget
The Apple Watch 9’s ‘Double Tap’ feature provides a thoughtful user experience by triggering primary actions like starting a timer, snoozing alarms, playing music, or replying to messages. It also intelligently activates voice typing for responses. The feature utilizes data from the accelerometer, gyroscope, and heart rate monitor to differentiate between different finger touches. However, it requires the availability of the thumb and index finger for operation. Despite this, the feature enhances usability by allowing users to interact with the watch without having to put down their devices, proving beneficial during activities like cleaning, exercising, or reading.
Adrienne So – Wired
The Apple Watch 9’s latest watchOS 10 features a new ‘State of Mind’ tool, available in the Health app. This feature allows users to regularly monitor their emotions either at the end of the day or throughout the day. Users interact with a flower-shaped graphic using the watch’s crown, which represents various emotions through different colors. It also prompts the user to provide additional context about their current emotional state.
Cherlynn Low – Engadget
Apple’s Series 9 watch offers enhanced Siri capabilities with on-device processing, allowing for offline usage and quick responses. Furthermore, the device enables users to ask Siri for health data such as sleep duration, daily steps, or to log a period, with some features available immediately and others following in a later software update.
Cherlynn Low – Engadget
Siri’s performance on the Apple Watch 9 needs improvement. It currently redirects users to the respective applications instead of providing direct responses to queries about steps, calories, and heart rate. Additionally, the ‘Raise to Speak’ feature, which activates Siri, lacks consistency, although it works seamlessly when functioning correctly, eliminating the need for long-pressing the Digital Crown or verbal prompts.
CNET
The upcoming update for the Apple Watch Series 9 enhances Siri’s functionality by enabling on-device processing for health-related queries and other requests, which was previously cloud-based. This upgrade promises faster response times and more convenience in accessing specific health data, reducing the need for manual searching within the Health App. Siri’s role is also set to expand on the Apple Watch, particularly in initiating workouts, setting timers, and alarms. Moreover, dictation accuracy is expected to improve by 25%.
Max Tech
The Apple Watch 9 has Siri being significantly upgraded, offering faster and snappier processing on-device for offline requests. It can now access and log your health and fitness data, and boasts a 25% improvement in dictation accuracy, enhancing voice responses to messages.
Andru Edwards
Siri on the Apple Watch 9 now offers increased privacy and efficiency by processing requests directly on the device instead of connecting to the cloud. This results in quicker responses and enhanced accuracy. Users can access personal health data like sleep patterns, heart rate, and medications solely through voice commands. The improved neural engine further enhances dictation accuracy by up to 25%.
Kate Kozuch – Tom’s Guide
The Apple Watch 9 is available at a starting price of $399, and comes in two sizes (41mm and 45mm), and various colors including Midnight, Starlight, Silver, Product Red, and Pink. It is powered by the Apple S9 processor and offers multiple connectivity options including Cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, U2, NFC, and GPS. The watch is dust-resistant with an IPX6 rating and waterproof up to 50 meters. It includes health sensors for skin temperature, heart rate, ECG, and SpO2. The battery life is 18 hours, extendable to 36 hours with low power mode, and is compatible with iOS only.
Max Tech
The Apple Watch 9 features a significant unannounced upgrade in storage, moving from 32GB to 64GB, equivalent to an iPad, thus enabling users to store more content such as podcasts and music.
@HeadHunter89 – CNET
The Series 9 now comes with a significant upgrade in internal storage, offering 64GB capacity.
Kate Kozuch – Tom’s Guide
The Apple Watch 9 comes pre-installed with watchOS 10.
Adrienne So – Wired
The Apple Watch 9’s new Ambient Daylight feature, utilizing the watch’s ambient light sensor to monitor the time spent outdoors, is particularly noteworthy and enjoyable.
Cherlynn Low – Engadget
The Apple Watch 9’s ‘Raise to Speak’ feature is improved with the S9 SiP’s power efficiency and an always-on mic for faster responses.
Performance
- Battery
- Chipset
- Display
- Software
- System
- Positive
- Negative
Kate Kozuch – Tom’s Guide
The Apple Watch 9, despite its low power mode feature introduced last year, requires daily charging for regular use as it is rated for 18 hours of battery life.
Adrienne So – Wired
The S9 boasts faster task processing, contributing to enhanced battery efficiency.
Cherlynn Low – Engadget
Apple Watch 9 offers an 18-hour battery life, consistent with previous models, although there is a desire for a longer duration.
Max Tech
The Apple Watch 9 maintains an 18-hour battery life and offers double the peak brightness when required.
Andru Edwards
The Apple Watch 9 impressively maintains an 18-hour battery life despite having a display that is twice as bright as previous versions.
Kate Kozuch – Tom’s Guide
The Apple Watch 9 sustains an 18-hour battery life even with its display brightness reaching 2,000 nits.
Cherlynn Low – Engadget
The Apple Watch 9 may present readability issues in low light conditions due to its dimmer display, making smaller text with low contrast almost illegible. However, users have the option to adjust the overall device brightness to mitigate this issue.
Kate Kozuch – Tom’s Guide
Siri on the Apple Watch 9 operates at a quicker pace with complete on-device computing support, enabling execution of commands without Wi-Fi or smartphone connection, ensuring user privacy by not sending data to the cloud.
Kate Kozuch – Tom’s Guide
The Apple Watch 9 offers a noticeable improvement in responsiveness when switching between apps and navigating menus compared to the Series 8, with the new Smart Stack UI in watchOS 10 operating seamlessly.
Inclusions & Packaging
- Inclusions & Packaging
- Positive
- Negative
Kate Kozuch – Tom’s Guide
Apple Watch 9’s packaging is notably compact, using less paper, as part of the company’s commitment to environmental sustainability. Apple also mentions transitioning from air-shipping and offsetting energy demands.
Andru Edwards
The Apple Series 9 comes with an additional Nike sport watch band, packaged in two separate boxes for the watch and the selected band. Additionally, it includes a braided fast-charging cable that complements the braided USB-C cables accompanying the iPhone 15 series.
Comparison
- Comparison
- Comparison vs. Apple Watch 8
- Comparison vs. Apple Watch Ultra 2
- Comparison vs. Apple Watch 8 & Comparison vs. Apple Watch Ultra 2
- Comparison vs. Samsung Watches & Comparison vs. Fitbit Watches
- Comparison vs. Apple Watch 6 & Comparison vs. Apple Watch 4
- Comparison vs. Apple Watch 4, Comparison vs. Apple Watch Ultra & Comparison vs. Apple Watch Ultra 2
- Comparison vs. Apple Watch 4
- Comparison vs. Apple Watch 6
- Comparison vs. Apple Watch 8, Comparison vs. Apple Watch 7 & Comparison vs. Apple Watch Ultra
- Comparison vs. Apple Watch 4 & Comparison vs. Apple Watch 7
- Comparison vs. Apple Watch 5 & Comparison vs. Apple Watch 6
- Comparison vs. Apple Watch Ultra, Comparison vs. Apple Watch Ultra 2, Comparison vs. Apple Watch 5, Comparison vs. Apple Watch 6, Comparison vs. Apple Watch 7 & Comparison vs. Apple Watch 8
- Comparison vs. Apple Watch 5
- Comparison vs. Apple Watch 5 & Comparison vs. Apple Watch 8
- Comparison vs. Apple Watch 6 & Comparison vs. Apple Watch Ultra 2
- Comparison vs. Apple Watch 7
- Positive
- Negative
Andru Edwards
The Apple Watch 9 Assistive touch gestures and Double Tap operate differently. Assistive touch is designed for accessibility, runs on the main CPU, consumes more battery, requires specific customization, and prompts users when available. It can be a compromised experience for those who don’t need it. On the other hand, Double Tap is part of watchOS 10, runs on the S9 SIP’s neural engine, is more power-efficient, and doesn’t require setup or user prompting. It’s optimized for all users.
Kate Kozuch – Tom’s Guide
The Apple Watch Series 9 and Series 8 share similar designs, with the notable difference being the Series 9’s subdued pink finish. Feature-wise, both watches offer workout tracking, step counting, heart health alerts, sleep monitoring, phone calls, and app usage, with no significant new features in these areas introduced in the Series 9.
Cherlynn Low – Engadget
The Apple Watch 9 offers an improved screen brightness ranging from 1 to 2000 nits, doubling the brightness of the Series 8, ensuring enhanced visibility in various lighting conditions.
CNET
The Apple Watch series 9, similar to series 8, offers an array of features such as overnight wrist temperature measurement, blood oxygen saturation, ECG, and fall detection. It has an approximately 18-hour battery life, ensuring a full day’s use.
Kate Kozuch – Tom’s Guide
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 boasts impressive battery life, lasting about 36 hours under regular use and up to 70 hours in low power mode, making it ideal for those prioritizing battery performance over the Apple Watch 9.
CNET
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 offers additional features ideal for outdoor enthusiasts such as a precision dual-frequency GPS, a robust design, a programmable action button, an enlarged screen, and extended battery life.
Adrienne So – Wired
The Apple Watch 9’s WatchOS 10 leverages Apple’s enhanced wearable hardware, with restructured apps and the new Palette face looking more appealing on the brighter 2,000-nit screen of the Series 9 than on the dimmer display of the Series 8. It offers outdoor features optimized for the Watch Ultra 2, but also incorporates numerous health features compatible with the Series 9.
Cherlynn Low – Engadget
The battery life of Samsung and Fitbit smartwatches outperforms Apple’s by lasting two or more days, indicating a need for Apple to enhance their watch’s battery longevity.
@gqlovalova – CNET
The upgrade from Series 6 to the new model may not be necessary due to the incremental improvements; it is a more viable option for those with Series 4 or older.
@emil-ionutmarinescu1673 – Max Tech
A user appreciated the Series 9 for its significant upgrades, particularly the enhanced battery life and faster charging. The user was not inclined towards the Ultra 1 or 2 due to their bulkier design and less significant upgrades despite their higher price. The Series 9, offering value for money, was a satisfactory choice for the user.
@RichardLasquite – Max Tech
A user appreciates the gesture controls on the Apple Watch 9 but finds them satisfactory on the Series 4, leading to the decision to keep the current device for another year.
r/apple
A user has a Series 4 watch in good condition but is considering an upgrade for the sake of experiencing a new, stainless model.
r/apple
A user is excited about upgrading from an Apple Watch 4 to the stainless steel Apple Watch 9, despite potential design changes in the upcoming Apple Watch X, indicating a strong satisfaction with the current design.
@seecraig – Max Tech
The Apple Watch 9 has several improvements, but lacks compelling new features, especially for health monitoring. While the build and design have been enhanced, hardware functions have only seen incremental upgrades. More health-related features like internal blood pressure or continuous heart rate analysis could have made it more appealing, despite potential battery consumption.
@kurartem – Max Tech
A user is satisfied with the Series 6’s performance due to its competent processor, which is comparable to the S8, and plans to continue using it for another year. However, they are excited about the potential advancements in the forthcoming Series 10.
@rc2257 – Max Tech
While the S9’s advancements may be appealing to some, the lack of significant battery life improvement compared to S8 or S7 is a deterrent for upgrading. The Ultra’s large screen and extended battery life are more appealing, potentially prompting a future purchase, or waiting for next year’s releases.
r/apple
The Apple Watch S4 continues to impress with its enduring performance and proved to be a great investment. Despite considering an upgrade to S7 for the alleged new design, the always-on display feature remains a desirable addition.
r/apple
A user finds the Apple Watch 6 satisfactory, appreciating its battery life that lasts for a day and night, even with sleep tracking. The user doesn’t find the smaller bezel a compelling reason for an upgrade and, while acknowledging the faster charging as an interesting feature, hasn’t faced any issues with the current charging speed.
r/apple
The Apple Watch 5 or 6 is seen as good enough, featuring a new chip, a smaller bezel screen, and fast charging, making it a solid choice, especially for those experiencing battery issues with older models.
r/apple
There’s no need to upgrade to Apple Watch Ultra 2 if one owns the Apple Watch Ultra 1, or to Apple Watch 9 if one has Apple Watch Ultra 5/6/7/8.
r/apple
The switch from Apple Watch 5 to Apple Watch 9 is considered due to the current model’s twice daily charging necessity. The Apple Watch Ultra, despite its superior battery life, is deemed too large for personal preference.
r/AppleWatch
The upgrade from Apple Watch 5 to Apple Watch 9 has been satisfying, with improved UI responsiveness, a slightly larger screen, a midnight color case, and enhanced battery life.
r/AppleWatch
Upgrading to the Apple Watch 9 from the Apple Watch 5 has proven beneficial due to its incredibly fast charging, reduced bezels, and a faster system-on-a-chip. The larger screen size that extends across the edges enhances the user experience, overcoming the lag experienced with Siri and app switching in the previous model.
r/AppleWatch
The switch from Apple Watch 5 to Apple Watch 9 has been satisfying, with features like Blood Oxygen and double tap proving their worth. The trade-in also provided a $90 refund, adding to the overall satisfaction.
r/apple
The upgrade from Apple Watch 5 to Apple Watch 8 brings a noticeable improvement in battery life, with the Watch 8 retaining about 40% battery at the end of the day compared to the Watch 5. The reduced bezel design of the Watch 8 is also a noticeable enhancement.
r/AppleWatch
A user transitioned from Apple Watch 6 to Apple Watch Ultra 2, but finally settled on Apple Watch 9 due to its enhanced speed, smoothness, and size. The anticipated double tap gesture feature was also a significant factor in their decision.
r/AppleWatch
The decision to opt for the Apple Watch 7 over the newly launched Apple Watch 9 was influenced by the lack of significant differences between the two models. The cellular connectivity and the sapphire glass of the Apple Watch 7, which was obtained for $410, provided satisfaction.
Price & Availability
- Availability
- Price - Availability
- Price - Variants
- Value
- Positive
- Negative
Kate Kozuch – Tom’s Guide
The Apple Watch 9 full availability commenced on September 22, 2023.
Kate Kozuch – Tom’s Guide
The Apple Watch 9 is priced from $399 for the GPS-only model, while the GPS + Cellular variant starts at $499. The larger 44mm model ranges from $429 to $529, depending on cellular support.
r/AppleWatch
The Apple Watch is highly valued, only second to AirPods, making it an indispensable product since the iPhone.
Miscellaneous
- Concerns
- History
- Issue - Features
- Issue - Performance
- Issue - Upgrade
- Limitations
- Positive
- Negative
r/apple
The upcoming 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch might bring a design refresh, making it a potentially unfavorable time to upgrade from one’s current watch model.
r/apple
Users’ current models are deemed satisfactory with suggestions to hold onto it for another year, anticipating a significant upgrade similar to the transformation witnessed with iPhone X in the next release.
Adrienne So – Wired
Apple has established a strong reputation for privacy protection, offering encrypted health data storage on devices like the iPhone and Apple Watch, and secure data transfer to and from iCloud. This allows for the inclusion of increasingly sensitive health-tracking features in its products.
@infernonine5688 – CNET
A customer expresses disappointment as the double tap feature on the ordered Series 9 will not be available until an October update. They plan to use their current Series 6 for sleeping hours and the new device during the day.
@LyTtLeHands – Andru Edwards
A user is disappointed at the lack of the double tap feature at launch. They are awaiting its release on the Series 9, and are currently using accessibility options as a workaround.
@casperbastholm – Andru Edwards
The double tap feature of the Apple Watch 9 is currently unavailable but is scheduled for release later in 2023.
@eriklundstrom1336 – Andru Edwards
The Apple Watch 9’s launch without the double tap feature is disappointing and the waiting period of approximately 45 to 60 days for this feature is considered unreasonable.
@willmir2001 – Andru Edwards
The Apple Watch 9 currently lacks precision finding, with users anticipating it as a potential future feature.
@parkergoetz3541 – CNET
A user expresses dissatisfaction with the Apple Watch 9’s battery life, as it impedes sleep tracking due to the need for overnight charging.
@Harsha_D – CNET
While the Apple Watch 9 offers impressive upgrades in its fitness and health apps, it falls short in terms of battery life across all generations up to the 8th gen. Despite its shortcomings, it competes with other smartwatches in providing accurate fitness data.
r/apple
The heart monitor stands out as the most practical feature on the Apple Watch 9, while subsequent upgrades appear to be more focused on aesthetics than functionality.
Kate Kozuch – Tom’s Guide
The “Find iPhone” feature is exclusive to iPhone 15 models equipped with the new U2 chip.
Kate Kozuch – Tom’s Guide
The double tap feature is exclusively available for Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2.
Adrienne So – Wired
The new Apple Watch 9’s Double Tap feature has certain constraints. It cannot be used concurrently with AssistiveTouch features like hand pinch or clench control. For Double Tap to function, Assistive Touch needs to be deactivated. Also, it is incapable of stopping a workout mid-run due to excessive hand movements and blood flow.
Cherlynn Low – Engadget
The Apple Watch 9’s Double Tap feature is not universally applicable throughout the system. While it is recognized, it does not correspond to any action in certain applications like the Phone app or Move rings.
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